Mr Speaker, I move:
That the House -
1) notes that on 7 January 2011 former ANC Member of Parliament, Jannie Momberg, passed away at the age of 72 and that he was a veteran politician, experienced sports administrator and businessman;
2) recalls that Momberg was born in Stellenbosch on July 27, 1938 and matriculated at Paul Roos Gymnasium and, although not an athlete himself, Momberg became involved in athletics administration in 1969 and became boss of Western Province athletics and vice- president of Athletics SA;
3) remembers that Jannie joined the ANC in 1992 following his resignation from the Democratic Party, which he joined after being an NP member since 1957 and was elected to the executive committee of the ANC Western Cape in 1992;
4) further notes that in 2001, Momberg was appointed as the South African ambassador to Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia and Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Cyprus and from 2005-2006 he occupied the position of the Dean of African Group of Ambassadors;
5) recognises that Momberg served both the ANC and the country with selflessness and with dedication in various capacities over the years and is counted amongst those progressive Afrikaners who shunned racism and embraced the movement for the construction of a nonracial, united and prosperous South Africa;
6) acknowledges that due to his tireless effort and excellence in the promotion of diplomatic relations between South African and Greece, Momberg was awarded the Medal of the City of Athens by the mayor of that city; and
7) conveys its heartfelt condolences to his wife, family and comrades in the ANC.
Mr Speaker, the day Jannie Momberg was elected to Parliament as the member for Simon's Town, his victory was the lead front-page story of the Cape Times early edition, and he could not quite forgive me for bumping him off the front page with my own win in Groote Schuur a few hours later in the next edition.
We contested our own constituencies then on our own manifestos and recognisances and his, of course, included the fact that he had broken with his historic home, the National Party, to contribute to the creation of the Democratic Party and thereby to the creation of the conditions that made the transition possible.
Now you have to understand that the old Nats hated the Cape Times for the formidable, liberal work that it used to do then, and hence half of Jannie's pleasure at the early front page.
After his own conversion to the Democratic Party, he personally hated the countervailing organ Die Burger, which made him so angry over breakfast every morning that it got his adrenalin pumping for the day. It says something, sir, for the road that we have all travelled, that Die Burger soon became the liberal paper.
But, Jannie kept travelling, both literally, to Lusaka, and figuratively, to join the ANC halfway through his term, with four other Democratic Party Members of Parliament. He had traversed the entire political terrain from the old establishment to the incoming new and he did so from the personal conviction that it was, for him, the right thing to do. It is not that he didn't work through the ideological considerations that normally drive defection, as when Mrs Suzman and company crossed the floor to create the Progressive Party, or Dr Treurnicht the Conservative Party. He did take the ANC's nonracist, nonsexist ethos under review. He said he understood the nonracism, but he could not understand what you had against sex. [Laughter.] However, the reason that it was for him the right thing to do to join the ANC was that he felt that he had a historic debt.
In die woorde van sy vrou, mev Trienie Momberg - wat vandag saam met haar seun Steyn, as my gas in die gallery sit - wat sy politieke spanmaat, sowel as sy gade was:
Hy het net gevoel dis al manier om reg te maak die feit dat hy in die verlede die Nasionale Party ondersteun het. Alhoewel hy verguising moes verdra, het hy tot die dag van sy dood nooit getwyfel dat hy die regte ding gedoen het nie en van die groot massa mense van Suid-Afrika het hy baie ondersteuning gekry. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[In the words of his wife, Mrs Trienie Momberg, who together with her son, Steyn, is sitting in the public gallery today as my guest, who was his political partner, as well as his spouse:
He just felt that it was the only way to atone for the fact that he had supported the National Party in the past. Although he had to endure abuse, he did not for one moment, till the day he died, doubt that he had done the right thing and he received huge support from the reat majority of the people of South Africa.]
My colleague, Marius Swart MP, who is the father-in-law of one of the Momberg sons and who cannot be here today, to his great regret, describes how, at Jannie's 70th birthday function two years ago, the range of guests from farmers to sportsmen and sportwomen, politicians and friends, attested to the fact that he was indeed a bridge builder between the old order and the new, and that is what he set out to do personally. Sir, he argued hard, but always honestly and always with respect for a different point of view.
He loved his wife and his children and his grandchildren with a passion. He loved sport. He loved everything, except all the things he hated! [Laughter.] There were no half measures and, as Trienie said, he did nothing half-heartedly.
Now, Parliament was one of the things that he loved. He was thrilled to come here in 1989. When he defected three years later, Trienie says he did so without any guarantee that he would appear on the ANC's party list or that he would receive any post, posting or reward.
In any event, he became an ANC Whip and in time he was posted to Greece. As for reward, sir, there is a reward associated with ANC membership about which we have only just learned from the highest authority. It is the ultimate reward, a free pass through the Pearly Gates! [Laughter.] The ANC may not be able to do much for you down here, but it is said to be an investment in the hereafter! [Applause.]
I wonder what Jannie thinks of this election promise up there. I suspect he thinks he got there on his own recognisance and I would think that he is right. [Laughter.] [Applause.]
Mr Speaker, on behalf of Cope I join my voice with those that have spoken here this afternoon about the late Jannie Momberg. It was indeed with profound sadness that we received news of the passing on of this great son of our country. Jannie was part of the very ugly part of our history, as well as the great and beautiful part of that history.
Reports suggest that he died soon after watching the five-day cricket test against India played at Newlands. Those who are familiar with his passion for sport will probably attest to the fact that this is absolutely true, but of course his wife and family can confirm it. Like all sportspeople, Jannie mixed with many people, and mixed very easily, almost as if he were on the sportsground, watching the games, and so on.
Speaking for myself, both as a political leader and in other capacities, apart from knowing about him from reading newspapers, I really got to know him when we were in the ANC. I will not talk much about many of the things that happened.
I do want to say, though, that he was extremely passionate about the idea of national reconciliation. He was really inspired by former President Mandela's comments on this theme. A consequence of this, especially when he had had a bit of wine - of which I won't say much today - that I very much favoured, was his arranging of social gatherings for us, to convince other South Africans that it was good and that we really meant it when we said we wanted a nonracial South Africa.
So, at these engagements Jannie would say, "You have got to talk to so and so."
"Jy moet met die man praat. Ek weet die mense hou van Afrikaans en ons moet hulle oortuig dat ons mense ernstig is, dat ons 'n ware Suid-Afrika wil h wat vredevol is, en waar almal saam kan leef." (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
["You have to speak to the man. I know people like Afrikaans and we have to convince them that we are serious, that we want a South Africa that is authentically South African and which is peaceful, and where everyone can live harmoniously."]
And he worked for this. He spent his own money on it. He mobilised others, had lunches and so on, and I think that, if there is a little equanimity in this House, it has quite a bit to do with the work that he did.
When he crossed over to us, he was a cause of incredible ... [Laughter.] [Applause.] I often got fingers wagged at me, and it was said, "You, we are watching you!"
However, I think that by joining our ranks he was able to explain a lot of the things that we did not understand about the opposition, because he knew our ranks by then. He knew and understood things and he was able to explain to us why certain things were happening and why others were not.
And that is very important when dealing with the issues of our country, because apartheid kept our communities so far apart. The kind of education and interpretations of certain things that he gave helped one to overcome stereotypes and begin to confront the hard realities for what they were. I think we can be very proud today that we have a much better atmosphere in the House and understanding of each other, whatever the political divides may be.
Now, as our deeply divided society began to adjust to the new reality, Jannie, because of his political and social profile within the communities, provided crucial leadership at very important turning points. He did this at a time when the liberation movement was facing the big challenge of not only taking the lead in society, but of winning over increasing sections of the population to really be part of the great experiment of uniting the people of our country and building a reconciled nation. Today, we collectively mourn the loss of a conscious activist for a full- blown, nonracial South Africa. Our country has lost an industrious worker bee for democracy and nonracialism. To the ANC, its allies, his community, his friends and, in particular, his family and loved ones, we express our heartfelt condolences, and, sad as this occasion is, we cannot help but celebrate a life that was lived with purpose and which embraced every one of us as South Africans.
I thank you. [Applause.]
Deputy Speaker, hon members, it was with a heavy heart that the IFP learnt of the sad passing of Ambassador Jannie Momberg on 7 January 2011.
Jannie, or "Jannie Bek," as he was known within political circles, had a distinguished career spanning over 50 years, beginning with the National Party, within whose ranks he rose to become one of the party's leading parliamentarians. In 1989, he was instrumental in the founding of the Democratic Party and in 1992 joined the ANC after its unbanning.
Jannie climbed swiftly through the ranks of the ANC, becoming one of the party's first parliamentarians in 1994, serving his time as House Whip and chairperson of the Programming Committee, where his prior parliamentary experience proved to be an invaluable guiding light to his party in navigating the highways and byways of parliamentary procedures. He was also directly involved at a community level and, in particular, with various informal settlements in and around the Western Cape, which he vehemently defended against all opposition.
In 2001, Jannie received the ambassadorship to Greece, a post in which he served with the utmost aplomb and distinction, thereafter retiring to Muizenberg, Cape Town, with his wife, Trienie, and keeping himself busy with various business ventures and spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren, whom he loved very dearly.
Jannie, as was mentioned at his funeral service in Stellenbosch, was a bridge builder, a peacemaker, a critical link between two deeply divided traditional and political cultures. This role came at no small cost to Jannie personally, which is in itself a testament to the strength of character of the man. As they say, "Cometh the hour, cometh the man." Jannie Momberg was truly one of these special individuals.
Jannie had a great love for sport and was directly involved in South African athletics at local, national and international levels, one of the highlights of his ambassadorship being the hosting of the South African Olympic team at his ambassadorial residence in Athens during the Olympic Games.
South Africa truly needs more individuals of the calibre, character and vision of Jannie Momberg, and we in the IFP humbly salute and thank Mr Momberg for his most noble efforts and the role he played in creating a unified South Africa. Thank you. [Applause.]
Deputy Speaker, the ID expresses its condolences to the surviving family - which includes four sons and five grandchildren - friends and colleagues of the late former Member of Parliament, Mr Jannie Momberg.
The 72-year-old Momberg, who was an old hand at politics, a veteran sports administrator and a businessperson, suffered a heart attack on 7 January 2011 at his Western Cape home. It is with great sadness that we have to pay our last respects to a man and a distant colleague who has been so dedicated to his cause and to our country.
Jannie Momberg will be remembered and celebrated as a progressive Afrikaner who fought against the evils of apartheid and racism to afford many oppressed citizens a free and democratic South Africa. His active roles in the parliamentary portfolio committees on Home Affairs, and Sport and Recreation, and the Joint Committee as Ethics and Members' Interests instilled a deep respect in those serving alongside him. I thank you.
Deputy Speaker and hon Members of Parliament, today we are paying our last respects to the late hon member Jannie Momberg who passed away on 7 January 2011.
The UDM extends its condolences to his family, friends and colleagues during this time of bereavement. It is not possible to ease your sense of loss, but we hope that you will find solace amongst each other and that, in the long run, your sadness will be lessened by memories of his political and many other achievements in life.
Wyle mnr Momberg se heengaan word deur ons almal betreur. Baie dankie. [The late Mr Momberg's passing is mourned by all of us. Thank you very much.]
Deputy Speaker, the ACDP learnt with profound sadness of the death of former Ambassador Jannie Momberg in January. Jannie was a veteran and courageous politician, a sports administrator and businessman.
His long political history began with the NP in 1957. He was a man who stood by his principles and he must have faced fierce personal and political resentment after being shouted down at the NP congress when he called for the Group Areas Act to be scrapped in the face of a motion calling for its stricter application. That issue led to his decision to cross the floor to the DP and, not long after, to the ANC when it was unbanned in 1992. He served both the ANC and the country with selflessness and dedication in various capacities over the years.
He was counted among the most progressive Afrikaners, who shunned racism and embraced the movement for the construction of a nonracial, united and prosperous South Africa. He was hailed as a hardworking individual. He was amongst the first generation of the movement's representatives in Parliament in 1994 and served as House Whip and chairperson of the Programming Committee from 1994 to 2001. He was a very experienced politician, and I found him to be very patient and helpful in assisting new members who did not have any parliamentary experience when they arrived.
Although he was not an athlete himself, when the famous runner Zola Budd competed in Stellenbosch as a young teenager, she stayed at his farm and, after the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, he became her manager.
In 2001, he was appointed as the South African Ambassador to Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia and Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Cyprus, where his dedication to his work was evident from his being awarded the Medal of the City of Athens.
On behalf of the ACDP, I extend our deepest condolences to his wife, Trienie, his four sons and their wives, and his five grandchildren. I thank you.
Hon Deputy Speaker, the UCDP extends its sincerest condolences to the family and friends of Jannie Momberg. He will be remembered as a man who was not afraid to change his mind. As the old saying says, "A wise man changes his mind". He was not afraid to decide differently, even when such decisions would render him unpopular in certain circles. He seized opportunities and embraced change and growth. In that sense, he lived his life to the fullest.
We say to the family members, his children, the party that he belonged to, the ANC, and others that he served, that indeed he was a man, and we have lost a real South African in him. May his soul rest in peace. [Applause.]
Madam Deputy Speaker, undoubtedly when one passes on it is indeed a sorrowful moment. Today, on behalf of the MF, I want to extend heartfelt condolences and messages of strength to the family and friends of the late Jannie Momberg.
It reminds me of another very profound saying of Mahatma Gandhi, who said that you must not lose hope in humanity - humanity is an ocean and, if a few dirty drops fall in the ocean, it will not make the entire ocean dirty. That reminds me of the remarkable personality that the late Mr Momberg had, a man who had the courage and the persistence to make a change.
You have heard those who were associated with the late Mr Momberg remember him as a person to be greatly admired. His work towards building a nonracial, united and prosperous South Africa will never go unnoticed.
Indeed, from God we have come and unto God we shall go. We pray that the soul of the late Mr Jannie Momberg will rest in peace in the high heavens. I thank you. [Applause.]
Hon Deputy Speaker, members of the House, ladies and gentlemen, may I just say that whilst I was sitting and listening, I thought of who Oom Jannie was, and I wondered what he would say if he were listening to all these beautiful tributes. So, I would like to touch on some of the issues that he deeply believed in, as well.
Let me start my tribute to the late Comrade Jan Hendrik, better known as Jannie Momberg, with an extract from Louis Leipoldt's poem, Oom Gert Vertel:
Ja, neef, wat kan ek, oumens, jou vertel? Jy wil die storie van ons sterfte hoor? Nou goed! Dis nooit te laat om daarvan nog Te leer en van gebruik te maak - veral Vir julle, jongling-mense. Hou maar vas Aan wat ons het, en staan orent, en neem Jul aandeel aan ons nasie!
Oom Jannie was large in life and is even larger in death. For this reason, I thought the poet's words were true and apt: Do you want to hear the story of our death? Well, then. It is never too late to learn from it or to use it, especially for you, young people. Hold on to what we have, stand up, and play your part in our nation.
My sincere condolences and sympathy go to the bereaved Momberg family. This has already been said by so many speakers. The loss of one so near and dear is never easy.
However, you can be proud of the gigantic and pioneering steps he took. He set an example for young and not-so-young Afrikaners, and a myriad of others: they, too, have a place in the ANC, and even more so in the democratic South Africa. I would venture so far as to say that his life was, indeed, an example for all South Africans and a manifestation of Leipoldt's words, "stand up and play your part in our nation".
To comprehend how great Oom Jannie was in life, one only has to look at the tomes of tributes and condolences that have poured in extolling his many virtues, and some vices! Oom Jannie was a pillar of strength, an elder statesman who could share his wisdom and experience with many a novice ANC Member of Parliament during that first and historic session of the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa. Oom Jannie joined the ANC, and the Chief Whip has already spoken about that; about his roles in the ANC, in the executive in the Western Cape, and in the Whippery here. In 2001 he was appointed as South African Ambassador to Greece, Bulgaria and other places, and between 2005 and 2006 he occupied the position of Dean of the African Group of Ambassadors. For his tireless efforts and excellence in promoting diplomatic relations between South Africa and Greece, Momberg was awarded the City of Athens Medal of Honour by its mayor.
I want to focus today, though, on Leipoldt's words "neem deel aan ons nasie" - take part in our nation. They reflect Oom Jannie's life and his role as one of those progressive Afrikaners who shunned racism and embraced the movement for the construction of a nonracial, united and prosperous South Africa.
His death comes at a time when the opposition has virtually assured the hegemony of the minority white vote. Now is not the time to go back into the laager. Such was Oom Jannie's visionary leadership that, before the dawn of democracy, he had already recognised that the only path to nation- building was not to further marginalise the marginalised; and that the interests of white Afrikanerdom were best served in the mainstream of South African political life.
In his state of the nation address, President Zuma reminded us that the vision of the national democratic revolution is to build a united, nonracial, nonsexist, democratic and prosperous South Africa. This requires us to revisit the ideological roots of nonracialism. Comrade Deputy President Motlanthe stated in the inaugural address of the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation that:
A case can be plausibly made that the seeds of a nonracial society were planted, although unintentionally, by colonial conditions among the oppressed even prior to the formal formation of the ANC in 1912.
Another early development in the history of nonracialism is the effort at interracial solidarity, as represented by co-operation between the ANC and the African People's Organisation, the APO. The APO was formed in 1902 under the leadership of Dr Abdullah Abdurahman, and mobilised mainly in the coloured communities. The increasingly harsh living conditions suffered by the oppressed contributed to nonracialism steadily gaining ground and taking root in society. Oom Jannie supported this.
From its genesis and throughout its formation and development, nonracialism drew in other forces and structures beyond the ANC. This has included the All African Convention, the SA Communist Party, the SA Indian Congress, the SA Coloured People's Organisation, the SA Congress of Democrats and the SA Congress of Trade Unions. It culminated with the Congress of the People in Kliptown in 1955 and the Freedom Charter as the lodestar of nonracialism.
This does not mean that we are free of contradiction. In fact, the opposite is true. Sixteen years into the democratic era the remnants of social oppression, economic exclusion and political marginalisation - the very factors that led to the formation of our movement - are still with us to some extent, and feed a rising resentment from the working-class masses. It is critical that, at this juncture of our history, we understand the immense challenge that we face along the fault-line of the monopolisation of capital.
Today, a black matriculant is seven times less likely than his white counterpart to get a chance at a job. Those were the issues that Oom Jannie cared about, was able to raise, and wanted to deal with in his lifetime. Here in the Western Cape we have added challenges: the leverage of state resources to perpetuate white ownership in state-rented accommodation, the awarding of large infrastructure tenders to white crony companies, and the prioritisation of mainly white areas for service delivery. [Interjections.] This level of insensitivity can only be born of illusions of grandeur and supremacy.
I read the headline in Sunday's KaapRapport, "Miljoene bruin mense gaan hul werk verloor" - more than a million coloured people will lose their jobs. I raise this point because I then sat and wondered what that does to the psyche of a community. What is the intention behind it? What is Solidarity's intention? What would Oom Jannie have said today about a headline like that? What is the implication of Solidarity's speaking out in the way they did, and, in fact, giving wrong information to the public?
Let us pay tribute in life, then, and let us analyse what those nonracial issues and features are that Oom Jannie was able to stand up for. How do we take that forward?
Oom Jannie could read the signs of the times. His visionary foresight earned him the wrath of many of his peers in certain communities when he joined the ANC. He will be remembered for his character as a rebel, reflected in his call for the scrapping of the Group Areas Act in 1986. Once he had crossed the Rubicon to his nonracial home in the ANC, there was no turning back. The course that he had chosen would lead to the building of bridges between communities estranged and isolated by apartheid.
There may be some who still harbour malice and resentment towards him. Yet, many others may be sitting and listening today to the accounts of the huge strides one man made, and how he has made his nation proud.
I want to end by quoting the same poet:
Roem van mense, rykdomme, pragte - Alles vergaan soos die mis op die vlei; Sterre wat skiet in dikdonker nagte, Het langer lewe dan roem kan kry. Boetie, as ons nou 'n keus moet wae Hier op die wreld, wat vra jy?
Here on earth, what are you asking? What are we asking when we have to confront ourselves on these nonracial features a few months before an election? Are we, for example, going into a fear process, or are we, as human beings, rising above that?
In the days, months and years that lie ahead, there will be many who will also want to listen to, grapple and wrestle with, and ruminate on Oom Jannie's wisdom, bravery and boldness. They will be inspired to break out of the laager and embrace a new place in their being South African - a place rooted in a sense of belonging to a great goal; a greater way of being connected to the diversity of nonracialism; a closeness with fellow South Africans in a caring and connected way, in that the joys and fruits of our nascent democracy are also theirs to share and enjoy. That is what Oom Jannie also stood for - a spirit of nonracialism. I thank you. [Applause.]
Debate concluded.
Agreed to.
Thank you, hon Deputy Minister. The condolences of the House will be conveyed to the Momberg family and the ANC.